I just about swallowed "Searching For God Knows What" whole. Donald Miller challenged me to recognize my tendency to look for acceptance and shows how we all have a deep set need for acceptance. He compares our search for acceptance to those old 'life boat' projects I had to do in school, and to circus people looking for applause. Throughout the book I was encouraged in my growing understanding that it is relationship with Christ that is important and not any formula or action I do to be accepted. When we accept God's provision of salvation by His Son Jesus Christ we are accepted, even though there is nothing we can do to make ourselves acceptable. Once in a relationship with our great God it is a desire and pleasure to honor Him and bring glory to Him by our actions.
This is definitely a good book to read.
As for 'A Tale of Two Cities' I'm almost done, but I can't say I love it. It's good,definitely better than the Wishbone version on PBS, but I'll be glad to be done and move on to a new book.
Showing posts with label Books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Books. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Another great book
During my trip to Lassen, I found opportunity to read when my friend proved her ability to fall asleep instantly while I lay awake for hours waiting for sleep to come to me. I finished my current book “A Road Runs Through It” which is really good because I have three books lined up behind it waiting to be read. (I’m now reading two books at the same time, how’s that for enjoying my summer!)
The book was fascinating and beautiful at the same time. In the book various writers explore the topic of building roads through public lands and why America has done much harm with these roads.
Of course we all know roads are important because they provide us necessary access to things such as stores, hospitals, vacations, and family who live on the opposite coast, etc. However, when is enough, enough? The book explored the problems when we build roads that allow access to logging forests which shouldn’t be logged, access for off road vehicles which destroy whole ecological communities, access to wild lands that might be better explored slowly. One of my best friends and my oldest daughter pointed out that the slower things are the easier they are. I would add that the slower things take, the more wonderful they are. The best way to experience nature is walking and bushwhacking is my favorite. What wonders we miss when we speed by in a car trying to get to a location. If we visit Yosemite and only stop our car to ogle at spectacular waterfalls and rocks, imagine what we can be missing. I have always wanted (rather unrealistically) to start at the base of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and hike to the summit and down into Nevada through some canyon. This way I could see everything and experience so much more than from a car.
Roads fragment ecological habitats and diminish their health. The book ends with stories of roads which are being undone and as I read I was reminded of the bridge of Beruna in C.S. Lewis’s “Prince Caspian”.
“They turned a little to the right, raced down a steep hill, and found the long bridge of Beruna in front of them. Before they had begun to cross it, however, up out of the water came a great wet, bearded head, larger than a man’s, crowned with rushes. It looked at Aslan and out of its mouth a deep voice came.
‘Hail, Lord,’ it said. ‘Loose my chains.’……
‘Bacchus,’ said Aslan. ‘Deliver him from his chains.;
‘That means the bridge, I expect,’ thought Lucy. And so it did. Bacchus and his people splashed forward into the shallow water, and a minute later the most curious things began happening. Great, strong trunks of ivy came curling up all the piers of the bridge, growing as quickly as a fire grows, wrapping the stones round, splitting, breaking, separating them. The walls of the bridge turned into hedges gay with hawthorn for a moment and then disappeared as the whole thing with a rush and a rumble collapsed into the swirling water. With much splashing, screaming, and laughter the revelers waded or swam or danced across the ford.”
We can do our world well by undoing many of the roads we’ve put in unnecessarily put in (500,000 miles on federal forest lands alone, which were mostly abandoned when exploitation was complete according to the book). This book was definitely a good and recommendable read.
"A Road Runs Through It; Reviving Wild Places" Edited by Thomas Reed Peterson
The book was fascinating and beautiful at the same time. In the book various writers explore the topic of building roads through public lands and why America has done much harm with these roads.
Of course we all know roads are important because they provide us necessary access to things such as stores, hospitals, vacations, and family who live on the opposite coast, etc. However, when is enough, enough? The book explored the problems when we build roads that allow access to logging forests which shouldn’t be logged, access for off road vehicles which destroy whole ecological communities, access to wild lands that might be better explored slowly. One of my best friends and my oldest daughter pointed out that the slower things are the easier they are. I would add that the slower things take, the more wonderful they are. The best way to experience nature is walking and bushwhacking is my favorite. What wonders we miss when we speed by in a car trying to get to a location. If we visit Yosemite and only stop our car to ogle at spectacular waterfalls and rocks, imagine what we can be missing. I have always wanted (rather unrealistically) to start at the base of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and hike to the summit and down into Nevada through some canyon. This way I could see everything and experience so much more than from a car.
Roads fragment ecological habitats and diminish their health. The book ends with stories of roads which are being undone and as I read I was reminded of the bridge of Beruna in C.S. Lewis’s “Prince Caspian”.
“They turned a little to the right, raced down a steep hill, and found the long bridge of Beruna in front of them. Before they had begun to cross it, however, up out of the water came a great wet, bearded head, larger than a man’s, crowned with rushes. It looked at Aslan and out of its mouth a deep voice came.
‘Hail, Lord,’ it said. ‘Loose my chains.’……
‘Bacchus,’ said Aslan. ‘Deliver him from his chains.;
‘That means the bridge, I expect,’ thought Lucy. And so it did. Bacchus and his people splashed forward into the shallow water, and a minute later the most curious things began happening. Great, strong trunks of ivy came curling up all the piers of the bridge, growing as quickly as a fire grows, wrapping the stones round, splitting, breaking, separating them. The walls of the bridge turned into hedges gay with hawthorn for a moment and then disappeared as the whole thing with a rush and a rumble collapsed into the swirling water. With much splashing, screaming, and laughter the revelers waded or swam or danced across the ford.”
We can do our world well by undoing many of the roads we’ve put in unnecessarily put in (500,000 miles on federal forest lands alone, which were mostly abandoned when exploitation was complete according to the book). This book was definitely a good and recommendable read.
"A Road Runs Through It; Reviving Wild Places" Edited by Thomas Reed Peterson
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Wild Trees, a very good book
I know, I know, I'm terrible at keeping a blog. I almost decided to not bother, but a close friend told me she really wanted me to write more, which I can do because I am reading so many amazing books right now that I have plenty to say.
I just finished reading a book called "The Wild Trees" by Richard Preston. This is a book about the biggest trees in the world and the people who find them, climb them, and research them. It's incredibly amazing that there are trees in California that reach over 350 feet tall and in whose branches can be found more life than anyone ever imagined. The book inspires conservation practices. I don't think I could ever consider owning anything made of redwoods. I realize that we need wood for various products, such as houses, desks, etc., but couldn't we avoid building things out of redwood regardless of how long it lasts?
Even more wonderful in this book were the people. I was so impressed with the people who climb these trees. It must take amazing personalities to be bold enough to climb a tree and cooperate in a group in order to climb over 300 feet. These people seemed so compassionate and good, I feel tempted to drive to Humbolt University and meet Steve Sillet and Marie Antoine myself. What a treat it would be to hear their stories first hand and learn more about the canopy of one of my favorite trees.
The book left me tempted to learn to climb these trees for myself, but with six children, four of whom I'm still raising, I'm not sure I should take such risks....but then again if I'm careful and learn well....
hmmmm, probably not yet, I have enough big goals to keep me busy for a while.
I highly recomend this book to anyone interested in trees, plant biology, geography, or good books.
Picture by Derek McHenry
I just finished reading a book called "The Wild Trees" by Richard Preston. This is a book about the biggest trees in the world and the people who find them, climb them, and research them. It's incredibly amazing that there are trees in California that reach over 350 feet tall and in whose branches can be found more life than anyone ever imagined. The book inspires conservation practices. I don't think I could ever consider owning anything made of redwoods. I realize that we need wood for various products, such as houses, desks, etc., but couldn't we avoid building things out of redwood regardless of how long it lasts?
Even more wonderful in this book were the people. I was so impressed with the people who climb these trees. It must take amazing personalities to be bold enough to climb a tree and cooperate in a group in order to climb over 300 feet. These people seemed so compassionate and good, I feel tempted to drive to Humbolt University and meet Steve Sillet and Marie Antoine myself. What a treat it would be to hear their stories first hand and learn more about the canopy of one of my favorite trees.
The book left me tempted to learn to climb these trees for myself, but with six children, four of whom I'm still raising, I'm not sure I should take such risks....but then again if I'm careful and learn well....
hmmmm, probably not yet, I have enough big goals to keep me busy for a while.
I highly recomend this book to anyone interested in trees, plant biology, geography, or good books.
Picture by Derek McHenry
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